WSJ article misses the mark; it’s not just about the chair!

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4 Common Misconceptions about Office Ergonomics

Our ERGOLAB team spends a lot of time working in office environments; the day man met PC was a glorious one for workplace accountability – nothing like a digital trail to keep things on the up and up….not so great for the human body.  Why?  As work tasks became more and more automated, our work days became more sedentary. 

Our body was not designed to sit for 8 hours a day; we’re all familiar with the Ergonomics axiom, “the best body posture (position) is the NEXT body posture (position).  Our bodies were designed to hunting, gathering, foraging for food, and sometimes running away VERY quickly when WE became the potential ‘food’ (…and NO, battling the crowds at your local farmer’s market does not qualify as ‘foraging’).   We need movement, we need a variety of position and posture to maintain good body health and flexibility. 

In the past, corporate Health & Safety leadership often overlooked the needs and risks within their office environments; cubicle dwellers don’t use pneumatic equipment, drive a forktruck or work with hazardous materials. Accidents and injuries occurred in other places in the enterprise, except the occasional slip, trip or fall, the office harbored few (or so they thought) risks.  Now, with 20+ years of data  and learning behind us, we understand the very real and very expensive risks associated with unmanaged office ergonomics.  With the average cost of ONE musculoskeletal disorder averaging $25,000 in direct costs and 5 to 8 times that number in indirect costs…a passive approach to office ergonomics is NOT good business. 

Still…old myths and misconceptions in Office Ergonomics die hard. 

Misconception #1

The right chair will solve ALL your problems.  WRONG!   A personal pet peeve and a myth that must DIE (and remember, we SELL ergonomic chairs and tools at www.ergonomicedge.com ).  The office chair, while very important, is one element within an INTEGRATED Ergonomic solution.  Office system manufacturers spend millions to reinforce the belief that a chair (more importantly, their chair) is the answer.  There is no magic chair. Or for that matter keyboard tray, mouse, docking station or document holder.  Products are tools our ERGOLAB Ergonomists use, case by case, client by client, to build an Ergonomic solution, properly designed, personally adjusted, with adequate employee education and product training (you’d be amazed how many companies have NO IDEA how their existing chairs adjust…).  At ERGOLAB, we lead with Ergonomic guidance first…products are a very very distant second.  

Misconception #2

Repetitive Motion is the #1 cause of ergonomic injury.   WRONG!    Yes, repetitive ‘Out-of-Neutral’ motions can and do cause injuries. An example would be anyone who works on spreadsheets for long periods of their day; these folks do A LOT of cutting and pasting within the spreadsheets.  Over the long term, overuse can lead to pain, discomfort and injury.   What surprises most corporate Health & Safety Managers, is that STATIC  “Out-of-Neutral” body postures cause far more injuries….we are a generation of leaners and reachers.   Sitting in a chair for hours at a stretch invites poor postures; next time you are in a lengthy meeting, check out the body positions of everyone around you…..leaning, slouching, etc.  All positions that put extreme stress and pressure on our bodies.   

This underscores the value of careful, thoughtful office design; the cubicle footprint is often driven by ECONOMIC imperatives, rather than ERGONOMIC imperatives.  Think  adjustability of worksurfaces, up/down, in/out.  Make sure all employee tools fall within the REACH ENVELOPE…don’t ask an employee to reach and lean to talk on the phone or lean forward to view a monitor.    

Misconception #3

Office Ergonomics is a ‘hard sell’ in these tough economic times.   WRONG!   Now is precisely the time to integrate Office Ergonomics into your Health & Safety plans for your next fiscal year.  Let’s face it, everyone is working with reduced headcount. This means your current work staff needs to do more…..MUCH MORE….with less.  You need these employees to stay healthy and productive.  Beyond this, Worker’s Compensation costs are soaring…a proactive Ergonomics approach is about preempting injury. Fewer injuries, fewer claims, lower PREMIUMS.   In tough economic times, you can’t afford NOT to invest in Office Ergonomics. 

Misconception #4

Every employee needs the same Ergonomic tools.  WRONG!      Ergonomic solutions are personal; an employees height and body size, health conditions, work functions and personal habits all contribute to and inform an Ergonomic solution.   A good starting place for 90% of the employee population is an adjustable Ergonomic chair and quality adjustable keyboard – but REMEMBER – the workstation MUST be designed with the employee’s idiosyncratic needs in mind. As before, an Ergonomic solution. There is no one size fits all.

 Need some guidance in creating and implementing an Ergonomics program for your business?   Give us a call – 401-527-7047, or email me at cdavis@ergonomicedge.com.

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LED is the new black.

I miss the old acronyms. Remember VHS, VCR?  or even older, LP?  (ok, I am actually from the cassette generation, but my parents had LPs.)  Now a new acronym has emerged on the scene…..LED.  OK OK, this really isn’t a new acronym, LED technology or light-emitting diodes have been around for over 100 years. (or so Wikipedia tells me). HOWEVER…for the average consumer, LED just hit the radar.  The hot new tech gift this holiday season…the LED television. Big, ultrathin and sexy.  Life without an LED television is impossible.  (LOL). Or so the marketing types want us all to believe.

In the world of office products and ergonomics, LED tech means an evolution in lighting fixtures and solutions for YOUR office workstation.  Weird, but this is something I CAN get excited about (and most of our clients too). LED lights use less energy, emit less heat and are LEED credit eligible (for those who are counting).   LED lighting is BUSINESS SEXY. 

What is business sexy?   Business sexy is something that makes the CFO go weak in the knees.  Business sexy is about the bottom line.  Business sexy makes everyone in the enterprise happy.

Several Ergonomic product manufacturers have new LED products to offer – we like Workrite’s Astra and Soleil task lights and their really cool (literally, it’s cool to the touch, no 2nd degree burns by moving the fixture) Verano under-mount magnetic light strip.    All have been awarded our BUSINESS SEXY stamp of approval (and from our clients too).  I think I am going to create a Business Sexy stamp for future use.

We await the arrival of Humanscale’s Element LED lamps.  The product is not available YET, but the chatter is very positive. (see link below for Wired magazine POV on Humanscale)  All we know is that Workrite has set the bar VERY HIGH….wait and see if Humanscale can dislodge the Astra, Soleil and Verano from our hearts.  

Wired Fetish: Ultimate office accessories

For more info on Workrite Astra, Soleil and Verano product details – http://www.workriteergo.com/products/lighting.asp

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